In an exclusive interview with rolling out, Vanessa Williams opens up about her pivotal role as a producer in the captivating stage play, A Wonderful World. Williams shares insight into the challenges and triumphs of producing, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the magic that brings A Wonderful World to life.
What made you join this project as a producer?
I was intrigued by the story that’s told by the women, the four wives that Louis had. I wanted to be a part of the creative process. Raising money, of course, is what producers have to do, but also being the Black producer on the team, where if there’s an issue, if there is something that needs to be done, they know that they’ve got a soulmate. They know that they’ve got somebody who will be their voice and get their needs taken care of.
What elements of the play do you believe are most important in capturing the essence of Louis Armstrong’s legacy?
There are many overwhelming aspects of getting his enormous life on stage. I know they’re gonna fall in love with James Iglehart because not only does he embody Louis, he has the voice and the charisma but he tells the story of a man who was an incredible genius, but also the depths that he had endure as a Black man in the business.
Talk about the approach of the story and how it speaks to resilience.
We touched upon the reality of his life and there’s a couple of moments that we don’t shy away from. In act two we talk about Lincoln Perry, who created Stepin Fetchit, which is a trigger for many of us who are African American, because the images that he created give us pause. In our show, we get a chance to have Lincoln talk about how he created it, how he owned it, how he amassed a fortune and who he really was. You see Louis say, “Well, this is my smile, I’m not putting that on. This is how I smile. I’ve made a fortune because of that smile.”
We always [say], you have to be twice as good. Back then you had to be four times as good. There was no steppingstone. There was no extra step to get someplace. You had to take every step every day and you had to make your way. We show that through different African American legends in our show. These people had to go through it to get to where they are. Louis was able to be talented enough, savvy enough, smart enough, but also lucky enough to be the one to come out of it on the other side, looking as good as he did.
A Wonderful World is running through Oct. 29, 2023, at the Cadillac Palace Theater in Chicago. Buy tickets here.
